Editing Lawrence Springborg (section)

==Political comeback and Conservative merger==
After Deputy [[Fiona Simpson]] withdrew her support for current leader [[Jeff Seeney]], he announced a partyroom challenge to take place on 21 January 2008, with former leader Springborg the front runner.<ref>[http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,23074761-5013945,00.html Bring on challenge, says Seeney] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080225164343/http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,23074761-5013945,00.html |date=25 February 2008 }}, ''[[The Australian]]'', 19 January 2008.</ref>
Springborg won the challenge and like his rolling of Mike Horan in 2003, Springborg's rolling of Seeney meant that Springborg once again ousted a leader prior to this leader being given a chance to lead his party into an election.<ref>{{cite web |title=Springborg elected to lead Qld Nationals |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2008-01-21/springborg-elected-to-lead-qld-nationals/1018900 |publisher=ABC News |access-date=5 January 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250105025625/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2008-01-21/springborg-elected-to-lead-qld-nationals/1018900 |archive-date=5 January 2025 |date=21 January 2008}}</ref>

After resuming the leadership, he began renewed talks of a merger to form a single 'non-Labor force' in Queensland. On 26 July 2008 this became reality when both parties voted to form the [[Liberal National Party of Queensland]].<ref>{{cite news|last=Dunlevy |first=Gabrielle |url=http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,24080614-2,00.html?from=public_rss |title=Merger a win for 'grassroots democracy' |publisher=News.com.au |date=26 July 2008 |accessdate=24 March 2011}}</ref>

The failure of the two conservative parties to sign a new Coalition agreement convinced Springborg of the need to merge the Liberals and Nationals at a state level. Presenting a proposal modelled on the [[Conservative Party of Canada]], Springborg went about campaigning through 2004 for the support of both state party organisations in creating a new unified party.

Prior to the 2006 state election, Springborg's proposal ran into early hurdles when [[John Howard]], [[John Anderson (Australian politician)|John Anderson]], and other federal Coalition identities dismissed the idea of a state-level merger.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.smh.com.au/news/National/Nats-push-for-merger-with-Libs-in-Queensland/2004/12/03/1101923333986.html|title=Nats push for merger with Libs in Queensland|date=3 December 2004|work=Sydney Morning Herald|url-status=live|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924194157/http://www.smh.com.au/news/National/Nats-push-for-merger-with-Libs-in-Queensland/2004/12/03/1101923333986.html|archivedate=24 September 2015}}</ref> [[Bob Quinn (Australian politician)|Bob Quinn]] and the state Liberals reacted cautiously, ultimately rebuffing Springborg's efforts. However, Springborg did attract strong support for the idea from the National Party at a state organisational level, with the central executive supporting his proposal in February 2005.  Springborg toned down some of his advocacy,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.smh.com.au/news/National/Lost-in-the-bush/2005/04/01/1112302234045.html|title=Lost in the bush|date=2 April 2005|author=Mark Todd|work=Sydney Morning Herald|url-status=live|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924194132/http://www.smh.com.au/news/National/Lost-in-the-bush/2005/04/01/1112302234045.html|archivedate=24 September 2015}}</ref> however, and was content to announce a renewal of the Coalition agreement with the Liberals on 26 September 2005, aiming to maximise Labor's trouble regarding the scandal instigated by Dr [[Jayant Patel]] and the [[Bundaberg, Queensland|Bundaberg]] public hospital.

On 29 May 2006, plans for merger received a new life when the state division of the Liberal party announced its in-principle support for the idea. State director Graeme Greene stated that the merged party "would effectively operate under the federal Liberal Party's model".

However, senior figures within both the National and Liberal parties, particularly federal Nationals leader [[Mark Vaile]], quickly spoke out against the proposed merger.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.abc.net.au/lateline/content/2006/s1652361.htm|title=Qld conservatives dump party merger plans|author=Dana Robertson|date=31 May 2006|work=Lateline|publisher=Australian Broadcasting Corporation|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150216132726/http://www.abc.net.au/lateline/content/2006/s1652361.htm|archivedate=16 February 2015|access-date=7 February 2015|df=dmy-all}}</ref> By the end of the week, Springborg had to rescind his proposal.

On 26 July 2008, his vision of a united non-Labor force in Queensland finally became reality when both parties voted to form the [[Liberal National Party of Queensland]]. He has been described as the "father of the party" by successor, [[John-Paul Langbroek]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,25282333-2702,00.html|title=New leader John-Paul Langbroek warns about LNP disunity|date=3 April 2009|work=[[The Australian]]|access-date=15 November 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090403185211/http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0%2C25197%2C25282333-2702%2C00.html|archive-date=3 April 2009|url-status=dead}}</ref>